Blast Designing : Theory and Practical

Contents: Preface. Introduction. 1. Blast process: i. Blast process and mechanism of fragmentation. ii. Basic requirements of blasting. 2. Explosive material and their selection: i. Explosives. ii. Types of commercial explosive. iii. Some important properties of explosives. iv. Selection of explosives. v. Some tests. vi. Case study. vii. Fragmentation. 3. Initiation system: i. Initiation system. ii. Different types of initiation system. iii. In-hole delay system. iv. Surface delay system. 4. Blast design deciding blast parameters: i. Effects of rock properties. ii. Blast geometry. 5. Initiation, delay allocation and firing patterns: i. Initiation and delay timing. ii. Effects of initiation and priming. iii. Various types of delays. iv. Initiation sequence and various patterns. v. Delay timing. vi. Role of burden throw velocity on blast design. 6. Ground vibrations, air over pressure and flyrock: i. Generation of ground vibrations. ii. Air over pressure. iii. Flyrock. 7. Blast damage and controlled blast techniques: i. Blast damage. ii. Controlled blasting techniques. 8. Mass blasting: i. Concept of mass blasting in underground mining. ii. Various methods of mass blasting. iii. Salient features of mass blasting. iv. Organizing mass blasting. 9. Explosive loading and execution of blast: i. General explosive loading system. ii. Execution of blast. iii. Various charging combinations. iv. Connection making. 10. Case studies some open cast mines: i. Agucha lead zinc open cast mine. ii. Pundi \'E\' mine 246. iii. Kudremukh iron ore mine. iv. Rawan limestone mine. v. Jayant coal mine. 11. Mass blasting of pillars in underground mines: a case study: i. Mass blasting of pillars. ii. The pillar structure. iii. Firing of the pillar structure. iv. Finer blasting strategy. v. Drilling of the pillar structure. vi. Selection of explosive. vii. Selection of initiation system. viii. Firing sequence. ix. Charging. x. Ground vibration monitoring. 12. Ground vibration control measures during the pillar blast: continued: i. Measures adopted to restrict magnitude of ground vibrations. ii. Raising frequency of ground vibrations. iii. Results of blast. 13. Miscellaneous aspects of blast design: i. Cast blasting. ii. Malfunctioning of explosive. iii. Coyote blasting. Reference. Index.

"The book presents theoretical and practical aspects of blast designing for both surface and underground mine excavations. The book embodies the recent research developments in the field of blasting. A number of case studies have been included to supplement the theoretical aspects of the blast design with the practical ones. Special emphasis has been laid on designing of large production blasts - mass blasts- which is soon becoming the need of hour in the present mining scenario.

The book contains 13 chapters covering basic principles of blast process, selection of blast materials, deciding blast parameters, basic fundamentals of generation and control of ground vibrations, air over pressure and flyrock. Every aspect of the blast design has been demonstrated by a case study-in case of open cast-as Rampura Agucha Lead-Zinc, Kudremukh Iron Ore-, Jayant coal-mines etc. Besides the India\'s largest underground pillar blast consuming 145t of explosive at Zawarmines has been presented.

The main feature of the book is that the authors-practicing mining engineers have - themselves designed a number of  blasts for more than a quarter of century and offered guidelines. The book will equip the readers with latest techniques of blast design balanced with theoretical and practical aspects of it." (jacket)